A New Face
by PsychoGeek
Summary: Matt and Ronnie are partnered with a detective just transferred from New York. Soon after, they're called to investigate a set of seemingly random bombings. But the bomber may have a method to his madness... Eventual Matt/OC... Rated T for violent themes.
1. Introductions

**I have fallen in love with this show... Mostly because I love Jamie Bamber, but also because it's an awesome show! So, yeah. I'm an American who loves a British show... :)**

**Sadly, I don't own Matt, Ronnie, or anything else you may recognize. All I own is the plot and my OC...**

**Thank you, _Torchwood Cardiff,_ for helping me with this fic! I'm grateful to have a friend that enjoys this fandom, too. :)**

**One last thing: This is going to be a Matt/OC fic, eventually. I don't have anything against Matt/Alesha, but there's pretty much no Matt/OC fics, so I wanted to give it a try. :3**

* * *

The office of the CID was abuzz; a new officer was being transferred to the office. Everyone was on their toes, anxious to see who would be added to the ranks. As people moved about, Ronnie was taking great joy in teasing Matt.

"Oi, that's not fair!" DS Matt Devlin protested.

"Life's not fair, sunshine," DS Ronnie Brooks replied, a smirk on his face.

Matt was just about to reply when DI Natalie Chandler walked up to them, a folder in her hand.

"All right, you two," she said. "That's enough. The newbie is coming in today. She'll be assigned to you two; I want you to show her around and help her get adjusted."

"Her?" Matt raised an eyebrow.

"There goes the Devlin-Radar..." Ronnie chuckled as Matt shot him a look.

"Yes, her," Natalie replied. "Her name's Jess O'Connor. She'll be here any minute."

"Where's she transferring from?" Matt asked.

"Here's her file." Natalie set the folder on Ronnie's desk. "I'll let her fill in any gaps. Here she is now."

Matt and Ronnie turned to see a young woman walk into the room. She was wearing a short-sleeved navy blue blouse and dark blue jeans that complimented her good figure and natural complexion. As she got closer, they could see that she was just a couple of inches shorter than Matt. She had wavy auburn hair that contrasted well with her angular face and sky-blue eyes.

"Hi, I'm DI Natalie Chandler." Natalie approached the young woman. "You must be Jess."

"I am." Jess gave her a broad smile. "Nice to meet you."

To Ronnie and Matt's surprise, Jess spoke with an American accent.

"These two men will be your partners." Natalie smiled and gestured to Ronnie and Matt.

"Hi, I'm Ronnie Brooks." Ronnie smiled and held out his hand.

"I'm Jess O'Connor." Jess returned the smile and shook his hand.

"I'm Matt Devlin." Matt grinned and shook Jess' hand.

"Nice to meet you two." Jess nodded and set her bag down.

"I'll you three get acquainted," Natalie said as she turned and walked away.

It was silent for several long moments. Matt was the first to speak.

"So, you're American?" he asked.

"I am," Jess replied. "Is that a problem?"

"No, not at all." Matt smiled and offered her a chair.

Jess sat down and Ronnie and Matt sat with her.

"If I may ask," Ronnie began. "What brings you here? I mean, the UK is quite a ways from the US..."

"I had...well," Jess sighed. "There were some personal issues..."

Matt cocked his head and looked at her.

"I had a disagreement with another officer," Jess continued. "But I'd rather not talk about it here."

Matt nodded and glanced at Ronnie.

"How long have you been a copper?" Ronnie asked.

"Eight years," Jess said. "I was a detective on a smaller police force in New York. Got transferred here about a month ago, but I'm just now getting settled in."

"Got your own flat?" Matt asked.

"I think so." Matt raised an eyebrow and Jess added, "I'm still learning British slang... Flat means apartment, right?"

Matt nodded with a smile.

"Hey, Matty," Ronnie leaned back. "Why don't you show her around?"

"Be glad to," Matt replied and looked at Jess. "Care for a tour?"

"I'd love one," Jess said.

Matt gave her a charming smile and stood up. Jess stood and turned to set her bag in her chair.

"I can trust you not to go through my things, right?" Jess asked, a playful gleam in her eye.

"Maybe..." Ronnie gave her a teasing smirk.

Jess laughed and turned to Matt.

"Ready to go?" he smiled.

Jess nodded and followed Matt out of the room.

* * *

**So, there it is: The first chapter... What do you think? Leave me a review! :D**

**Hope I keep everyone in character and am fairly accurate with the British slang... If I messed up anything, feel free to PM me. :)  
**


	2. Incident Of The Past

**Chapter Two! Thanks to _Torchwood Cardiff _for the review! :) This fic is coming along slowly but surely. I now have Seasons 1 and 2 (or Series 1-4) on DVD, so I'm getting into the characters... I hope I have them written right. :)**

* * *

Jess and Matt walked side-by-side as he gave her a quick tour of the department. As they walked, Matt glanced at Jess. She was alert, taking in her surroundings as Matt explained them to her. As they walked, Jess took a hair tie off her wrist and pulled her hair back into a ponytail. They finished the tour in the small kitchen area.

"Well, that's pretty much it," Matt said. "So, what do you think of your new workplace?"

"It's nice," Jess replied as she leaned against the counter.

"Anywhere near as good as New York?"

"Easily as good." Jess smiled.

"And your partners?" Matt leaned against the small table.

"I love the older one," Jess said. "He seems sweet, kind of like a teddy bear..."

"Never heard him described that way, but it fits..." Matt laughed. "What about the younger one?"

"He's a charmer," Jess said.

Matt gave her his usual disarming grin and wiggled his eyebrows.

"And a constant flirt," Jess laughed. "Even when it's a lost cause."

"I don't believe in lose causes," Matt leaned closer and lowered his voice. "And I'm not one to give up easily..."

"We'll just see about that."

"I will admit one thing: you've got my curiosity going..."

"Oh?" Jess cocked her head.

"Yeah," Matt nodded. "You must have had it pretty good back in New York, so I've got to wonder: Why come here?"

Jess frowned and Matt felt his stomach sink. Had he gone too far?

"Look, I didn't mean to-" he said quickly. "-I mean, if it's something you don't want to talk about, I understand."

After several long moments of silence, Jess replied.

"It's okay," she said softly. "You'll find out eventually, and I guess it's best that you hear it from me..."

"Hear what?"

"I left New York because my partner developed an interest in me," Jess explained. "Which wouldn't have been a problem if he had handled it with some form of professionalism. But he began to hassle me and it got so bad that I was almost afraid to go in to work."

"Did you report him?" Matt asked.

"I had no solid proof. It would have been just my word against Detective Clark's. He was smart enough to act decent around my boss... But when it was just us with the other men around, he was back to normal."

"And the others tolerated it?"

"They thought it was funny..."

"Being rude to a lady is never funny." Matt frowned.

"I was the only female detective on the force, so I guess that made me an even larger target..."

"So, how did you end up here?"

"I finally had enough with Rob and went to my boss," Jess continued. "But it didn't go well. He brought Rob in and had us both standing in front of him. I told him my side, then Rob came up with this cock-and-bull story that I was the one hassling him."

"What?!" Matt's jaw dropped. "How could he-"

"Like I said, it was only my word against his; none of the other men wanted to get involved. Rob was kind of the senior detective, so I guess they didn't want to go against him."

"What happened?"

"My boss told Rob to leave, so he could speak with me. Then, he informed me that he couldn't have two detectives that were at odds with each other. I told him that Rob was the one at fault, but he didn't really care. He told me that, and this is word-for-word, 'a female detective is less valuable to the force than a male detective, due to a man being able to withstand more than a woman'."

"Are you serious?"

"I am." Jess nodded, anger in her eyes.

"That's not right," Matt said slowly. "All officers are equal, regardless of sex..."

"I know that and you know that," Jess said. "My boss never did like having a female detective on the force, so I guess he just decided to use the situation as an excuse to get rid of me. I'm not trying to play the sexist card, but that's just how it was."

"So, you were transferred here?" Matt asked.

"He gave me an option: I could quit or be transferred." Jess shrugged. "I've always wanted to be a detective, so I opted for a transfer. My dad was a beat-cop, so I grew up with police. I chose the UK, because...well, I wanted to be as far away from Rob as possible."

"I understand..." Matt gave her a sympathetic smile.

Jess returned the smile, but remained silent. Matt moved closer to her and put a comforting arm around her shoulders.

"Things are different here," he said. "You can count on both of your partners treating you with the respect and dignity you deserve."

"Thanks..." Jess looked at Matt. "I just hope I can do a good job..."

"You will..." Matt grinned at her.

* * *

**I promise: There will actually be some action coming in. And soon... :) I'm just trying to get Jess settled in... ;) How am I doing? Drop me a PM or a review with any compliments or complaints! :3  
**

**I hope I'm doing justice to Matt and Ronnie... :)**


	3. Getting Adjusted

**Thanks to _Chaz4Benedict _and _Torchwood Cardiff _for leaving the reviews! I love you guys! :3  
**

**Just a little bit more of getting Jess settled in, then we'll move into some action. :) Thanks for sticking with me!**

* * *

Matt and Jess walked back into the main office to find Ronnie organized a desk. Matt cleared his throat and Ronnie turned around.

"Back so soon?" he grinned at them. "I'm just now getting a desk cleared for Jess. I'm putting her desk in between ours."

"Getting the best of both worlds, eh?" Matt winked at Jess.

She set her bag on the desk before sitting in the chair. She grinned at Matt and spun the chair in a full circle.

"I take it you like the desk?" Ronnie asked, a smile on his face.

"I love it," Jess replied. "Thanks, Ronnie."

The two men nodded and sat down.

* * *

Several hours later, Matt and Ronnie had run Jess through several closed cases. They had given her explanations for some of the procedures, and how they had gone about compiling the evidence for the CPS.

Matt sat halfway between Jess' desk and his desk. His sleeves were rolled up and his hair was slightly tousled, from running his hands through it.

Ronnie sat at his desk, but had his chair turned to face Jess. He had removed his coat and his glasses were propped, as usual, on his forehead.

Jess sat at her desk, swamped with files. She still had her hair back in a ponytail, but several strands had fallen in her face.

"I know the basic routine," Jess sighed and rubbed her eyes. "But the CID is different than what I'm accustomed to..."

"It'll take some getting used to..." Matt leaned back and stretched. "But I'm sure you'll catch on..."

"Just wait until you handle an interrogation," Ronnie said. "That'll be fun..."

"I'm not too good with interrogations..." Jess confessed.

"Oh?" Ronnie raised an eyebrow.

"I usually have to be 'reminded' to stay on one side of the table," Jess explained.

"Got a streak of violence in you?" Matt asked, a cheeky grin on his face.

"More like, 'an overwhelming desire for justice, that occasionally manifests itself in violent actions'." Jess replied with a straight face.

"I have to remember that..." Matt snorted.

"Like you need an excuse..." Ronnie shook his head, but grinned at Jess.

* * *

Jess walked out the door and into the cold night air. There was a bite to the wind, and she pulled her denim jacket closer.

"Now to remember where I live..." Jess muttered as she walked down the sidewalk.

"Oi, Jess!" Someone called from behind her.

Jess turned to see Matt jog up to her. His ears and nose were red from the cold, but he still had his usual grin on his face.

"Hey, Matt." Jess smiled before continuing her walk.

"Where's your flat?" Matt asked as he fell in step with her.

"A large building on Chelsea Street. I think..."

"That's not too far from where I live," Matt said. "Want a ride?"

"My feet would love one," Jess replied.

Matt grinned and led her to his car. He opened the passenger's door for Jess and she climbed in. Matt jogged around and got in the driver's seat. He started the car and pulled onto the street.

"Thanks for the lift..." Jess said. "Hopefully, I'll able to get a car soon. Or maybe a moped, like the one I had back in New York..."

"Until you get one, feel free to call me if you need to go somewhere." Matt smiled.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course I am." Matt nodded. "If you need a ride or anything else, call me. Anytime..."

"Right now, I need coffee..." Jess grinned. "Good old Starbucks coffee..."

"Got a coffee maker, yet?"

"Nope..." Jess sighed. "But I will as soon I'm settled in. I miss my morning cup of coffee..."

"How do you drink yours?"

"With Starbucks, three shots of creme, and one shot of expresso."

The rest of the ride was silent. When they reached Jess' apartment building, she started to climb out.

"Thanks, again for the ride..." Jess turned to face Matt.

"Like I said, anytime..." Matt replied.

Jess shut the door and Matt watched her walk into the building. When he was satisfied that she was in safely, he pulled away.

There was something about Jess that Matt couldn't quite figure out. He considered himself a good judge of people, and he knew that she was a sweet person. But there was something else; something that fascinated Matt in a way that he hadn't really known before...

* * *

The following morning, Jess walked into the office. Ronnie and Matt weren't at their desks, so Jess set her bag by her chair and scanned the room. They were nowhere in sight...

Jess shrugged and sat at her desk. A small Starbucks cup sat on her desk, with a chocolate glazed donut beside it. Jess smiled and took a sip from the cup. She bit into the donut. It was creme-filled, her favourite...

A small note was folded behind the cup. Jess picked it up and opened it.

"Jess," she read the note aloud. "Gone to find Ronnie... Enjoy, Matt..."

Jess smiled and took another drink of her coffee. Matt had even remembered how she drank her coffee. The pleasant moment ended, though, as Ronnie and Matt burst into the office.

"Jess, we've gotta go," Matt said hurriedly.

"What's wrong?" Jess stood up.

"Your first crime scene with us," Ronnie said. "Got a building that's just been hit by a bomber..."

Jess grabbed her bag and followed Ronnie and Matt out of the office.

* * *

**Here it goes... :) So, how am I doing? Do I have Matt and Ronnie properly written? Send me some feedback, either by PM or review! ;) ;)  
**

**I'll try to keep the crime scene chapters from being too graphic, but some description is necessary for the plot.**

**Thanks for reading! :3**


	4. First Crime Scene

_**Chaz4Benedict: **_**Thank you! Don't worry. Matt'll show his flirty side soon... ;) ;)**

_**Torchwood Cardiff: **_**Thanks!**_**  
**_

**You reviewers are awesome! :3  
**

**Warning: This chapter is slightly more graphic, but that's due to the crime scene and general nature of the crime. **

* * *

Jess climbed out of the back seat and followed Ronnie and Matt up to a uniformed officer. As Ronnie spoke with the officer, Jess looked at the bombed building. The weather was comfortable, but the sight of the building sent a shiver through Jess.

It was, or had been, a small store, set in between several larger stores. The windows had been shattered out on the sidewalk, presumably by the force of the explosion. The inside walls of the small building had been mostly destroyed by the bomb, leaving the infrastructure blackened, but hopefully still strong. The surrounding buildings were relatively unharmed, with only a slight amount of fire damage to the outer walls.

Jess's stomach twisted as she looked at the building. She knew people had been inside when the bomb went off, and the images of families being informed of the loss kept flashing through her mind. She had broken the sad news to scores of family members, but it never got easier...

"Jess?" Ronnie's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Yeah?" Jess turned to look at the men.

"We need to put these on." Ronnie pointed to a bench.

Jess saw several smock-style overalls, protective booties, facial masks, and rubber gloves.

"The scene hasn't been cleared, yet," Ronnie continued. "So we need to be protected when we go in."

"All right..." Jess nodded and reached back to tighten her ponytail.

The three detectives began to put on the protective material. Matt turned to Jess as he pulled on the overalls.

"You okay?" he asked quietly.

"I'm fine," Jess replied as she smoothed out her overalls.

Matt nodded, but still kept glancing at Jess as he put on the gloves.

Once the detectives were completely ready, they walked up to the building. Matt and Jess wore their masks under their chins, despite being warned about 'dangerous fumes'.

An officer gave them a nod, and they entered the building. They were hit by the sudden thickness of the air, and the smell was almost unbearable. The heavy cloud of death could be easily detected, both in scent and sight.

"Oh my..." Matt held a hand up to his mouth and nose.

Jess looked around, fighting back a wave of nausea. There were several bodies strewn around the room. Or at least, the charred remains of the bodies...

"Body count is six, so far," an officer reported. "But there could be more bodies buried under all this rubble, so watch where you step."

Jess was walking toward a wall when her foot sunk into a weak spot in the floor. She fell forward and into the wall. A section of the wall crumbled down and she fell to the floor, throwing up ashes and dust all around her. Jess could hear parts of the ceiling fall to the ground, then she felt something land on her and she was pinned to the ground. She tried to move it off, but froze when the dust started to clear and she could see what was on top of her.

A corpse had fallen and landed on her.

Matt and Ronnie gasped when the dust cleared and they saw Jess pinned under the corpse.

"Matt!" Jess cried out. "Get it off...now! Please!"

Matt pulled the corpse off of Jess and she rolled away. She moved to a sitting position and Matt knelt down beside her.

"Jess, are you okay?" he asked, his eyes filled with concern.

"I-I...think so..." Jess replied shakily.

Matt stood up and held out his hand to Jess. She took it and slowly stood up. They walked over to where Ronnie was standing.

"Are you alright?" Ronnie asked.

"Yeah..." Jess looked at the officer. "Sorry about that..."

"Just glad you're okay," the officer replied with a nod.

"I think the corpse had it worse than I did..." Jess managed a small smile.

Matt looked at Jess. She seemed calm, but there was a panic in her eyes that alarmed Matt. The scene was getting to her, and the rest of them, and the shock of getting tackled surely didn't help. He looked at Ronnie and caught his eye. Matt nodded toward Jess, and Ronnie gave him a small nod.

"I think I need some air..." Matt announced.

"You and Jess go outside for a bit," Ronnie said. "I'll finish up with the uniform."

"Right." Matt turned to Jess.

She seemed lost in thought as she looked around the room.

"Jess," Matt said softly.

Jess seemed to not hear him.

"Jess." Matt touched her arm. She jumped slightly and turned to look at him.

"Yeah, what?"

"Let's go outside..."

Jess nodded slowly and followed Matt out of the building. Matt could see the change in Jess the moment they walked out into the fresh air. She removed her mask and gloves and set them on a bench. Matt did the same and followed her as she walked over to the car. Jess leaned against the car hood and sighed.

"Well, my first crime scene here in the UK," she began. "And I completely screwed it up..."

"I think you did pretty good," Matt said as he moved next to her. "I mean, you did get tackled by a corpse. And a rather nasty-looking one, at that..."

"I shouldn't have gone near that wall." Jess turned to look at Matt. "I know better than to walk around a bomb scene, especially one that hasn't even been searched. I know the protocol! I know how these things work! And I handled it like a rookie... No, I handled it worse than a rookie. A rookie would have the common sense to stay put! But I-"

"Jess, stop." Matt put his hands on her shoulders. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"But I..." Jess gasped softly. "Oh, listen to me! I'm at a crime scene where at least seven people lost their lives. And all I can talk about is me..." she shook her head. "I feel like a selfish brat...I'm sorry..."

Jess sighed and turned back to look at the building. Matt smiled slightly and put an arm around her shoulders.

"You did great," he said. "And I think you're going to make a wonderful partner. Just one thing you need to learn..."

"What's that?" Jess looked at him.

"Not to wrestle with the bodies. At least, not a crime scene..." Matt winked and gave her teasing grin.

"Very funny..." Jess grinned and shook her head.

* * *

**Poor Jess... The next few chapters will have some good action, I think. :) **

**Still trying to familiarize myself with British slang, so I probably messed up some things... If there's any errors, please PM me. :)**


	5. Not Another One

**New chapter! Yay! I know it's been too long since I updated... :( But I got really really sick, and then when I recovered, my life went from normal to hectic... But I should be able to update fairly regularly, now. :)**

**_Chaz4Benedict: _Thanks! I'm trying to keep Matt the same as he was in the show. :)**

_**TorchwoodCardiff:**_**Thank you! :)**

**Warning: Another slightly-graphic chapter. But we will be getting into some Jess/Matt interaction, soon... :3**

* * *

Jess and Matt sat at their desks. They had finished up at the crime scene, and returned to the office to put a case file together. Jess was typing at her computer as Matt thumbed through some of the crime scene photos.

"Where's Ronnie?" Jess asked.

"Dropping off some evidence with Teddy, I think," Matt replied.

"That's one of your forensic scientists, right?"

"_Our_ forensic scientists..." Matt reminded with a smile. "One of the uniform found what they think is the bomb. Or what's left of it, anyway..."

"That could be pretty helpful..." Jess nodded. "The bomb style can give us some insight on the actual bomber."

"Really?" Matt raised an eyebrow. "You can tell about a bomber, just by looking at the bomb?"

"Sometimes, yes. Some bombers see their bomb as a masterpiece, so they add personal touches to it, and that becomes their signature. Using that information, sometimes you can build a profile of the bomber."

"Think you can do it?"

"I doubt it," Jess said. "I'm just a detective. I'm good with patterns, but I'm still learning how to profile. "

Matt started to reply, but his mobile phone began to ring. He grabbed it and answered it by the second ring.

"Devlin. Yeah, Ron...are you serious?!" Matt's jaw dropped. "What's the address?" he took a piece of paper and scribbled something down. "Yeah, we'll meet you there."

Matt hung up and turned to Jess, a look of shock on his face.

"What's wrong?" Jess frowned.

"That was Ronnie," Matt explained. "There was another bomb... He's on his way to the scene, now."

"Oh, no..." Jess gasped.

"I told him we'd meet him." Matt pocketed his mobile and stood up.

Jess nodded and stood up. She grabbed her bag and followed Matt out the door.

* * *

They reached the scene in less than ten minutes. As they approached, Jess could see that the building was a drugstore. The bomb damage seemed to be primarily toward the back of the building, and the glass in the windows and counters had been blown out.

Jess climbed out of the car and followed Matt toward the building. Ronnie met them at the doorway.

"Eight dead," Ronnie reported. "And one survivor. She's being tended to as we speak..."

"Can we speak to her?" Matt asked.

"I'm not sure," Ronnie replied. "If you want to check on it, Jess..."

"I will." Jess nodded and walked back over to the parking lot.

Jess moved around the emergency vans, searching for the survivor. As she passed one of the large vehicles, she heard a cry and turned around. Jess gasped when she saw who had cried out.

A small girl was laying on a stretcher as several medics moved around her. The visible skin on her upper body and arms was covered in burns and open wounds. Her round face was covered in ash mixed with blood, with small streaks where her tears had washed it away.. Her deep brown eyes met Jess' clear blue eyes and the girl reached for her.

Instinctively, Jess moved toward the girl, despite the growing pit in her stomach. The girl grabbed her arm and held on tight.

"What's your name?" Jess asked.

"L-Leah Wayne..." The girl winced as a medic began to tend to the burns. "Hurts...can't breathe..."

"It's okay, Leah." Jess' eyes began to sting as she looked at child. "The doctors are taking care of you..."

"I...where's my mum?" Leah's voice was raw and shaky. "I didn't mean to-"

Leah screamed as a medic tried to pry her hand from Jess' arm. Jess felt her knees go weak at the sound.

"Sorry," the medic frowned. "But you've got to let go..."

The medic finally managed to pry the girl's hand from Jess' arm and proceeded to raise the girl into the back of the vehicle.

Jess moved toward the car as she watched the van pull away. She looked at her arm and saw the bloody ash stain that Leah left behind. Her stomach lurched and she braced herself against the car. She prepared for what she knew would happen, but wished it wouldn't.

Her stomach lurched once more and she bent over. She coughed and heaved until her stomach lightened. She closed her eyes and leaned against the car, trying to calm herself down.

Suddenly, someone placed their hand on Jess' shoulder. She turned and sighed with relief.

"What happened?" Matt asked. "Did you find the survivor?"

"Yeah, it's a young girl..."

"Young girl?" Matt went pale. "How bad was she hurt?"

"Pretty bad." Jess looked at her arm. "That's what she left when she grabbed me..."

Matt took in a sharp breath when he saw the stain on Jess' arm.

"Let's get you cleaned up..." Matt frowned.

"I don't seem to have much luck with crime scenes, do I?" Jess gave Matt a small smile.

"Not really," Matt replied. "But that'll change."

Jess nodded and followed Matt.

* * *

Matt and Jess were heading back to M.I.U. Matt was driving, but he seemed to be focused on something other than the road. Jess watched him from the passenger's seat.

"Who's going to notify the families of the victims?" she asked. "We've got two bombings, with fifteen victims altogether."

"It'll be divided between you, me, and Ronnie..." Matt said quietly.

"Great..." Jess sighed. "I hate this part of the job."

"Someone's got to do it..."

"I know, but I wish it was easier."

Matt nodded and the rest of the ride was silent.

* * *

**I'm pretty hard on Jess, aren't I...? At least Matt's there for her. :)  
**

**As always, feel free to PM me with any errors you found or any ideas you may have. I value my readers' opinions, so please review. :3**


	6. The Last Survivor

**I'm baaack...With another chapter! ;) I'm working on the 8th chapter, so I should be posting the 7th chapter soon. I try to be at least one chapter ahead, before I post another chapter... :) That way, I can make sure I'm not getting too ahead of myself. :)**

_**Chaz4Benedict: **_**Thank you! Matt's working his way into Jess' trust, I think... :)**

_**Torchwood Cardiff: **_**Thanks! :3  
**

* * *

Jess walked into the office to see Matt and Ronnie at their desks. The three detectives wore a somber expression. A civilian would just assume they'd had a rough day at work, but anyone in the force would know exactly what they'd been doing, just from the looks on their faces.

"I'm done," Jess said as she sat down.

"So are we..." Ronnie said.

"Any word on the little girl?" Matt asked.

"None yet," Jess replied.

"Two bombings in one day." Ronnie sighed. "And no leads on either of them. No witness, only one survivor, no CCTV footage..."

"Hopefully, Teddy'll have something for us to work with," Matt said.

"There wasn't much left of either bomb," Ronnie said.

Jess began to think and the conversation between Matt and Ronnie faded out.

There had to be a pattern, a way to trace back to the bomber. If the bombs were made by the same person, they could try to link the victims or even the bomb sites to the mystery-bomber. Her instincts told her that the bombings were done by the same person, but she would have to wait until there was solid proof to share her suspicions.

The bomber had to have some sort of plan behind his attacks, but it would be impossible to tell how many more bombs he would set. Jess was determined to find a link between the two attacks; it would bring them closer to catching the man.

Jess' first thought was to the link the owners of the buildings, then if that didn't work, they could try to link the managers that were present. They could also try to link the buildings and locations, but that would be extremely difficult.

Jess' thoughts were broken as the phone began to ring.

"Devlin," she heard Matt answer. "Yeah...oh, no...are you sure?...okay, cheers."

Jess looked at Matt. He sighed and turned to her.

"What was that?" Jess asked.

"That was the hospital," Matt explained slowly. "The little girl, Leah Wayne?"

"Yeah?" Jess felt a twinge of panic.

"They did all they could, but she didn't make it," Matt said. "They're sending her over to our morgue..."

"We just lost our one survivor," Ronnie said quietly.

Images flashed through Jess' mind: The look on the little girl's face, her wounds, the girl's voice, and how she'd grabbed ahold of Jess...But the little girl's face didn't seem to go away...

* * *

Jess and Matt were sitting at their desks, when Natalie Chandler walked in.

"Where's Ronnie?" she asked.

"Teddy needed to see him," Jess replied.

"We've got a slight problem," Natalie said, her voice low.

"What's wrong?" Matt looked at her.

"We've got a lady in the waiting room," Natalie continued. "She asking about her little girl."

"Oh my word..." Jess gasped. "You can't mean-"

"Leah Wayne?" Matt asked.

Natalie nodded, and the two detectives looked at each other.

"Didn't anyone call her?" Jess looked puzzled.

"We couldn't," Matt replied, a frown on his face. "All we, or the hospital, knew was her name and there was really no way to trace a seven- or eight-year-old girl in the short time we've had..."

"Who's going to break the news to the mum?" Natalie asked.

"I'll do it." Jess stood up.

"You sure?" Matt looked at her.

"Yeah," Jess replied with a sigh.

"I'll come with you."

Jess nodded and walked out of the room. Matt followed her to the waiting room, but stopped at the doorway.

A young woman was sitting in one of the chairs. She looked like she'd just come from work, and her dirty blond hair was pulled into a messy bun. Her tired green eyes took in the whole room as she glanced around. She stood up as Jess approached her.

"Hi, I'm DS Jess O'Connor..." Jess shook the woman's hand.

"I'm Diana Wayne," the woman replied. "I'm here about my little girl, Leah?"

"Perhaps we should sit down," Jess said.

Diana nodded and sat down. Jess sat in the chair next to Diana and turned to face her.

"I'm afraid I have some bad news..."

Matt felt his heart wrench as he watched the mother gasp and sink back in her seat. He watched as the shock set in and the mother reached out to Jess. He watched as Jess held the mother in a loose hug, and sat there for several minutes as the mother continued to sob. He caught Jess' eye and she gave him a look that said '_Why does this have to happen...?_'

"It's my fault, I guess," Diana said shakily as she pulled away from Jess. "I told her if she was good in school, she could go down to get some candy...If I'd only told her to stay home until I got home, maybe she'd be alive..."

"No, don't say that," Jess said in a firm tone. "This is not your fault. You can't blame yourself for what a bomber did..."

"But she shouldn't have been there. I shouldn't have let her go by herself; she's only seven..."

"Diana, you didn't do anything wrong..." Jess paused before trying to change the subject. "Did you try to call home at all?"

"I-I couldn't." Diana was shaking, but at least the tears had stopped. "W-we're not allowed to have our mobiles at work, so I-I leave mine with Leah...so she can call if s-she needs anything..."

"So, she went there after school?" Jess asked.

"Yeah, then she was supposed to go straight home..." Diana sighed. "You're going to catch the one who left the bomb, right?"

"Yes, we will, Diana," Jess replied. "We will..."

* * *

**I am being soo mean to Jess, but she's stronger than I think I could be. I don't think I could be a cop; I would probably have too much trouble with informing the family members... :(  
**

**As always, if you spot any errors, please let me know. I love reviews, so feel free to leave on when you've finished reading. :)**

**Thanks again to _Chaz4Benedict_! She has been wonderful with helping along with this fic... :3**


	7. Late Nights and Finding Patterns

**I'm back again! :) I'm still working on Chapter 8, so shame on me for breaking my own rule! :P If I break it again, feel free to send a very harsh PM and remind me that rules are not meant for breaking... ;) Sometimes I need a swift kick in the butt to keep me on track... :)**

_**Chaz4Benedict:**_** Thanks soo much for your help with this fic! I am trying to work more chemistry in, but I'm trying not to put it in too fast... :)**

_**Torchwood Cardiff: **_**Thank you! :)**

* * *

Matt was about to leave for home, when he poked his head in the main office and saw Jess sitting at her desk. Filled with curiosity, Matt took off his coat and scarf as he approached the desk. As he got closer, he could see she had the casefile spread out across her desk.

"Whatcha doing?" Matt sat down. "It's time to go home."

"I know..." Jess sighed. "There's got to be something here. A connection between the bombings..."

"Well, Teddy confirmed that the bombs were at least from the same pattern," Matt offered. "So, it's quite possible that both bombings were planned by the same man."

"Yeah, but why?" Jess looked at Matt. "Why would someone blow up two buildings that don't have anything to do with each other? I've gone through all the records and there's no connections between the owners or even the buildings."

"If there's no connections between the owners," Matt took a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. "Then maybe the victims?"

"That's what I'm working on now..." Jess motioned to the mess of papers on her desk.

"It could take all night." Matt frowned.

"I know," Jess shrugged. "But I've got nothing better to do."

Matt stood up and hung his coat and scarf up. Jess gave him a puzzled look as he sat back down.

"Did you really think I'd just leave you alone?" Matt smiled. "And I needed something to do..."

Jess returned the smile and began to shove papers back into one of the folders.

"Okay, since you're a glutton for punishment," she handed the file to Matt. "You can take the victim list from the second bombing."

"All right..." Matt opened the file and spread the papers out on his desk.

* * *

A couple of hours later, Matt was going through the file of one of the victims.

"Lee Harken..." he muttered. "divorced...no kids...business: Breaking Investments...nice name."

"Wait," Jess turned to Matt. "What was that name?"

"Lee Harken?"

"No, the business name."

"Breaking Investments?" Matt looked at her.

"I've seen that name in another file," Jess said as she turned back to her desk.

Jess dug through several files and glanced at the papers. She chose a file and turned back to Matt.

"Thomas Fuller," she handed the folder to Matt. "Co-founder of Breaking Investments."

"This could be our connection." Matt compared the two files. "See what you can find on Breaking Investments."

"Right." Jess booted up her computer.

Matt continued to study the two files as Jess typed at her computer. After several minutes, Jess leaned back in her seat.

"Whoa..." she said in a low voice.

"What is it?" Matt turned to her.

"Breaking Investments has had some trouble..." Jess read from the screen. "Several people have claimed that the five men in charge of the business were mishandling the funds."

"Five men?" Matt raised an eyebrow. "What exactly did, or does, Breaking Investments do?"

"According to the website, Breaking Investments is a private way to invest money and receive profits. The customers would give the money to one of the five men, then they would choose a proper short-term investment. Breaking Investments would receive a share of the profits, in return for their help. Nice little racket..."

"Is that legal?"

"Apparently so..." Jess shrugged. "Six months ago, Breaking Investments was forced to close. There were several accusations of money not being invested properly, and that some of the money was being pocketed by the men in charge."

"How much trouble did the men get into?"

"None. They were never even investigated..."

"What?" Matt frowned. "If there were accusations, how did-"

"Due to the nature of the business," Jess continued to read from the screen. "They claimed that there was no way to prove that they had done any wrong. Since there were quite a number of satisfied customers, the charges were dropped and labeled as empty accusations made by some disgruntled customers."

"What happened when they closed?"

"The profits were split four ways and the men went their separate ways," Jess replied.

"So could the connection be random?"

"Well, it-Wait a second!" Jess narrowed her eyes. "There were five men in charge of Breaking Investments..."

"Didn't it say that the profits were split four ways?" Matt caught on to Jess' line of thinking.

"Someone got left out..." Jess' jaw dropped slightly as she looked at the screen. "How would you react if you were left out of a split of two million dollars...?"

"_Two million?!"_ Matt leaned forward. "How the heck did they get two million dollars from an investment business?"

"Maybe the accusations weren't wrong, after all..." Jess frowned. "But if they left one of the men out of the split, could that be motive?"

"People have been killed for less," Matt said, his voice grave. "So it wouldn't surprise me. These two cases might not be as hard to solve as we thought..."

"If we can find the man that was left out," Jess replied. "We could have our bomber."

"He must be desperate. I mean, he killed fourteen other people, just to get at two..."

Jess nodded slowly. These bombings at gone from tragic to chilling, all in the space of a couple hours...

* * *

**So our team could be onto something. Hmm...we'll just have to see where this leads... **

**As I've said before, feel free to let me know of any errors or inconsistencies in the plot. And don't forget to review! :)**

**I've just started working on a _Doctor Who _fic, so keep an eye out. But don't worry, this fic will still keep going... :) Thanks for reading!**

**Kristy :3**


	8. Putting The Patterns Together

**Here it is: Chapter 8! :) Thank you to those that have read and reviewed! I really appreciate you guys! :3 ****I was gone this past week and no internet access or even access to my laptop... :( That and Real Life in general are the reasons why there hasn't been an update from me in almost two weeks... But I promise: This fic will continue, and this case will be solved soon! And then we can continue to other adventures... :D  
**

**As a random note: This fic will take place throughout the first 2 seasons, with bits and pieces of actual episodes thrown in. Then we'll come to_ Deal... _:o :/**

_**Chaz4Benedict: **_**Thanks! They're coming together, slowly but surely... :)**

_**Torchwood Cardiff: **_**Thank you!  
**

* * *

Ronnie walked into the office, an umbrella in one hand and a cup of tea in the other. He grinned when he saw Jess and Matt.

They were sleeping at their desks, sprawled among the files and papers. Luckily, no one else was in office, or Matt would have faced some teasing over the fact that his arm was carelessly draped around Jess.

Ronnie cleared his throat.

Jess and Matt sat up straight in their chairs. A blush crept into Matt's cheeks and he pulled his arm off of Jess. They turned to look at Ronnie as he moved to his desk.

"Morning," Ronnie said, a teasing smile on his face. "You two up late?"

"Uh, yeah..." Matt yawned.

"But we might have a lead," Jess rubbed her eyes. "And a good one, at that."

"Good, whatcha got?" Ronnie looked eagerly at Jess as he sipped from his cup.

"Well, we were going through the files on the victims..." Jess began.

Matt watched as she animatedly told Ronnie about the connection they'd discovered. He noticed that she had given Matt the credit for the link, and she stated the point several times. It was true that he had been the one to discover the link, but she was actually the one that put it together.

Matt quietly slipped away to get a cup of tea for himself and a cup of coffee for Jess. As he walked to the kitchen area, he found himself thinking about Jess.

She was dedicated to doing her job well, and yet, she was willing to share credit and even cover up her own contributions. Matt admired that about her, and truth be told, he was starting to develop a deep interest in her. He knew she had been through a lot; he could tell from how she spoke of her past, and even how she acted when certain subjects came up.

Matt shook the thoughts out of his head. There was no way he could be developing feelings for Jess, no way at all. After all, he had only known her for a couple of days. But then, stranger things had happened in his time as a Detective Sergeant...

* * *

"There we go," Jess said and took a step back.

She had borrowed a bulletin board to use for their case board and had just finished putting photos of the five founders of Breaking Investments up on the board. She had found the photos on the original site for Breaking Investments; each photo had a label with the name of the man attached. The photo of Lee Harken was under a note that read 'Deceased-Bomb 2' and the photo Thomas Fuller was under a note that read 'Deceased-Bomb 1'. The other three photos were set in a vertical row, ready to be sorted.

"Dalton Walsh and Brad Sage are still doing well," Jess said. "But Harvey Rogers has been broke ever since he was left out of the split."

"Rogers could have easily wanted revenge on the other four men," Ronnie nodded slowly. "But a bomb? That seems almost..."

"Desperate?" Matt offered.

"Yeah..."

"I was able to locate Walsh and Sage," Jess explained. "But Rogers must be laying low."

"Makes sense." Matt nodded. "If he's the bomber, he could be planning on how to take out Walsh and Sage."

"We need to get them into protection," Ronnie said. "Did you find addresses for them?"

"Right here." Jess handed Ronnie a paper.

"I'll contact them," Ronnie said. "You two see if you can locate Rogers."

"Will do." Jess smiled and sat at her computer.

"Where's Rogers' last known residence?" Matt asked as he pulled up a chair.

"About six months ago, he moved out of a small apartment," Jess said as she began to type. "And that's the most recent information I could find on him..."

"That's just great..." Matt groaned and stood up.

He moved to the case board and studied the photos. All five of the men looked prim and proper, but then, they were supposed to be investors. Matt leaned closer to examine the photo of Rogers.

Harvey Rogers had jet-black hair that he kept combed to one side, and piercing green eyes. But what stuck out to Matt was not the man's face, but the scar that ran along the man's left jaw...

"Where are you...?" Matt muttered.

He was looking at the photos of Walsh and Sage, when he heard Jess gasp. Matt turned to see her lean back in her chair and cover her eyes with one hand.

"Oh...crap..." she said in a low voice.

"What's wrong?" Matt frowned.

"We've hit a snag," Jess replied, still covering her eyes.

"What?" Matt felt his stomach clench.

"Harvey Rogers died from a heart condition in a local hospital," Jess said slowly. "Just over a month ago..."

"Are you sure it was him?" Matt's eyebrows furrowed.

"A scar was used to positively ID him, along with his personal belongings..." Jess began to rub her eyes.

"If he died a month ago..." Matt's voice trailed off as the realization hit him.

Jess looked at Matt, her eyes filled with a soberness he hadn't seen before.

"He can't be our bomber..." Jess sighed. "We're back to where we started..."

* * *

**Oh, I smell romance in the air... :D Plus my habit of leaving Matt and Jess alone doesn't hurt... ;) Couldn't resist the Evil Plot Twist... It's going to get interesting now...  
**

**As I have said sooo many times, please let me know if I've made any errors... And don't forget to review! :)**

**Thank you for reading,**

**Kristy :3**


	9. Back To Square One

**Here we are: Chapter 9. :D Hopefully, I'll be able to update regularly (I have a habit of saying that, don't I...), despite the fact that I'm working on a couple of other fics also. This, my _Doctor Who _fic, and my _CSI: NY _fic are taking up quite a bit of my spare time, but I think they're worth it, even though I haven't uploaded the last two, yet... But I will be having a lot of free time over the next couple of weeks, so I might even get a chance to work on my sequel to my _Avengers _fic... And I am SOOO rambling... :P You should see me in real life...my friends literally have to give me a headslap to keep me focused on the conversation... ^-^  
**

_**Chaz4Benedict: **_**Yep, yep! We're getting some definite hints of romance now... xD**

* * *

Matt and Jess stared at her computer screen, unable to believe what they had just read. Matt slowly shook his head and sat back in his chair. Jess rubbed her eyes for a moment, before slamming her hand down on her desk.

"We had one good break-" Jess slammed her hand down again. "-Then it's gone!"

"We'll get another lead," Matt said, placing a comforting hand on her arm. "I'm sure."

Matt was managing to keep his tone level, but to be honest, he was just as upset as Jess was. This case was getting more confusing by the minute, and now their best lead was gone...

"Well, I guess this is one of those situations where the light at the end of the tunnel is an oncoming train." Jess slumped in her chair.

"Of course you would say something like that," Matt snorted. "I still think we should interview Walsh and Sage, though."

"Yeah." Jess nodded. "They should be here soon, if Ronnie managed to get ahold of them."

As if on cue, Ronnie walked into the office.

"I did contact them," he said with a smile. "They're both coming in...why the long faces?"

"Well, we've got a problem..." Jess began.

* * *

"So, who gets who?" Jess asked as she walked down the hall, with Ronnie right beside her.

"I'll take Brad Sage," Ronnie replied.

"I get Dalton Walsh, then." Jess nodded.

"What about me?" Matt jogged up behind the pair of detectives.

"I'd feel better if you came with me," Jess said. "This is my first interview here and well, I don't want to mess it up..."

"All right." Matt smiled.

* * *

Matt and Jess walked into the interview room. A man stood near the window, and he turned to face the two detectives.

Dalton Walsh was a tall man, easily six foot two or three, with wavy light brown hair that he kept swept back off his face. He was wearing a polo shirt and slacks that were just tight enough to show his well-muscled physique. As the detectives approached him, they could see that he had deep brown eyes that were calm, yet watchful. He appeared to be in his late 40's.

"Hi, I'm DS O'Connor," Jess held her hand out.

"Dalton Walsh." Dalton shook her hand.

"Mr. Walsh, I-"

"Please," Dalton interrupted. "Call me Dalton."

"Okay, Dalton." Jess nodded. "As I was saying, we are currently investigating two separate bombings..."

Matt watched as Jess explained the relation between the crimes to Dalton. Matt made mental notes on Dalton's body language as he listened to Jess. When she mentioned Breaking Investments, Dalton stiffened and his eyes narrowed.

"That was the past," Dalton said slowly. "We...made some mistakes, okay? But we did nothing illegal."

"I'm not questioning the legality of your business," Jess replied. "We are just investigating whether or not the bombs could have been planted with your previous partners as the targets."

"So what does that mean?" Dalton's eyes narrowed. "My life is in danger?"

"That is a possibility, yes."

"What do I do, then?" Dalton sighed. "Do I need to move? I have no family, so I'd have to find somewhere to go and that could take time..."

"Just live your normal life, for now," Jess assured. "We have no reason to believe that you are in danger at this point."

"Okay..." Dalton took a deep breath. "Can I help in any way? Have you gotten ahold of Brad?"

"Our partner is speaking with Brad Sage right now," Matt said.

"What about Harv?" Dalton frowned. "He was a part of Breaking Investments. In fact, he was...well, when we split up, he..."

"We know he was left out of the split," Matt said.

"Well, have you spoken to him?"

"Uh..." Jess glanced at Matt. "He's been dead for a little over a month..."

"Dead?!" Dalton's jaw dropped. "I knew he was in bad health the last couple of months, but...dead?"

"Yes, we're sorry..." Matt took a deep breath. "Do you know know of any reason someone would want to target you or any of the other founders of Breaking Investments?"

"No, I-I don't," Dalton shook his head. "We had a good business, satisfied customers, and we were making money..."

"All right, thank you for your time," Jess shook Dalton's hand again. "We'll contact you if we have any more questions."

"Okay." Dalton nodded.

Jess and Matt watched Dalton leave, then turned to each other.

"He handled that fairly well," Matt said. "I've seen these things go a lot worse."

"Me, too..." Jess sighed as she and Matt walked out of the room. "I hope Ronnie was able to get some information from Walsh..."

"I'm sure he did," Matt replied, a smile spreading across his face. "You did great with the interview, by the way. You just might turn out to be a fine detective one of these days..."

"Thanks a lot..." Jess rolled her eyes, but returned the smile.

* * *

**Hm...wonder where this will lead... :) **

**As I have said so many times (do I need to say it anymore? ;) ), please let me know if you spot any errors, and don't forget to review! :D**

**Kristy :3**


	10. Something Doesn't Click

**Woohoo! This is the 10th chapter and this story has reached over 10,000 words! ^-^ I think this case is just a couple chapters away from being solved... :) Then we'll move on to other ideas... :D Well, I've stopped working on my ideas for my _Doctor Who _fic, so it's just this fic and the _CSI:NY _fic that I'm working on now. :)  
**

_**Chaz4Benedict: **_**Thank****s! :) We might be getting some fluffy action between Matt and Jess in a couple of chapters. I might even do just a short chapter totally devoted to fluff...maybe... :D**

_**Torchwood Cardiff: **_**Thank you! xD**

* * *

Jess and Matt had returned to the main office and waited for Ronnie to show up. The three detectives were now sitting with their chairs facing each other.

"How'd Sage take the news?" Jess asked.

"It shook him up pretty bad," Ronnie replied. "He started rambling about how he 'knew the business would get them killed' and that he had to contact all his living family to 'get them out of the line of fire'. I barely got any information out of him, and what little I got was what we already know."

"Wow." Matt shook his head.

"Yeah," Ronnie nodded. "How was Walsh?"

"Pretty calm," Matt replied. "I'd say he handled it better than most."

"Lucky you." Ronnie grinned.

Jess smiled and turned back to her computer. Something had to turn this case around, but what?

* * *

For the next couple of days, the three detectives spent their time chasing down every little connection they could find between the two bombings. Several times, it seemed like they were on to something, but it turned out to be yet another false lead. The chase was getting tiring, and the three detectives found themselves losing hope that they would be able to solve the two cases...

One afternoon, Ronnie and Matt had left the office to run down a possible suspect, leaving Jess alone. She sat at her computer, going back over the files.

"You all right?" Natalie walked in.

"Yeah," Jess replied as she looked up and smiled at her boss. "Just trying to find something to put these cases together. Man, I've said that a lot over the past few days..."

"I imagine you have." Natalie leaned against the desk. "But don't let that discourage you."

"I'm not," Jess sighed. "But it is getting hard..."

"Just keep going through the files," Natalie gave Jess a friendly pat on the shoulder and turned to walked back to her office. "I know you'll find something."

"Thanks," Jess replied.

She continued going through the old files for several minutes, until a realization hit her. She brought up a certain file and scanned through it.

"Gotcha!" Jess exclaimed before frowning. "How could I have missed that!"

* * *

Matt and Ronnie walked into the office, but stopped when they saw Jess. She was standing at their desks, a piece of paper in her hand and a triumphant grin on her face.

"I hope that smile means you've got something good," Ronnie said.

"Oh, I do," Jess replied.

"Spill!" Matt said as he and Ronnie approached Jess.

"Well, I was going back over some of the record on Harvey Rogers," Jess began. "And I found the medical record from when he was pronounced dead, then identified."

"And?" Ronnie asked, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"It says he was positively identified by his belongings and a scar."

"We already know that..." Matt raised an eyebrow. Surely Jess wouldn't be so excited over old information...

"But what we didn't know was that there was one other form of identification used," Jess said. "I dug a little deeper. Apparently, they wanted to be absolutely sure that he was Harvey Rogers, but he didn't have any known family. So they called in an old friend to identify his body."

"Who was the friend?" Ronnie interrupted.

"I'm getting to it." Jess took a deep breath. "The old friend was one Dalton Walsh."

"What?" Matt's eyes widened. "I thought..."

His voice trailed off as Jess' words sunk in. Dalton Walsh knew Rogers was dead; he'd known it all along...

"Something you want to share with me?" Ronnie looked confused.

"When we spoke with Walsh," Jess said. "He acted like he didn't know Rogers was dead; he seemed shocked when we told him."

"He deliberately misled us," Matt said, his eyes narrowing. "Why?"

"My question, too." Jess crossed her arms. "I say we call him back in."

"I second that motion." Matt looked at Ronnie.

"Bring him in," Ronnie said with a nod. "Good catch, Jess."

"You're getting good at this," Matt teased.

Jess laughed and gave Matt a playful shove as she grabbed her phone. She glanced at a file and dialed the phone.

"Hello, Mr. Walsh?" Jess began. "This is DS O'Connor...Good, thank you. We've got a few more questions for you...Yes, we would...Thank you very much. Goodbye."

"Well?" Ronnie looked at her.

"He's on his way," Jess replied. "He sounded almost, well, happy that we had more questions. It was weird..."

"Hm." Matt rubbed his chin. "He might not be so happy when he hears the questions..."

* * *

**We might have a suspect...we'll see. :) I'm thinking about this case being solve in 2 or 3 chapters, then we can move on. I just don't want the solution to be too rushed... What do you think?  
**

**If you spot errors, feel free let me know. :) I would also love some reviews, please... xD**

**Kristy :3**


	11. Setting The Story Straight

**Woohoo! This case is almost solved... :D :D I'm still tossing ideas around for how to continue the fic, though. :) Plus, I'm about to post the first chapter for my _CSI:NY _fic, so my writing time will be kinda stretched... :/**

_**Torchwood Cardiff:**_**Thanks! :)**

* * *

Jess and Matt sat across the table from Dalton Walsh. They'd shaken hands when he arrived, but hadn't said a word since.

"I don't mean to be rude," Dalton said slowly. "But I came to answer questions, not sit in silence."

Matt merely smiled at the man and opened a folder. He slowly paged some photos before handing one to Jess.

"This is a picture from the hospital that pronounced Harvey Rogers dead," Jess said as she set the photo down in front of Dalton. "It's Rogers' headshot from when he was identified."

"And you're showing me this because...?" Dalton raised an eyebrow.

"I just thought it might jog some memories," Jess replied. "Seeing as you were there..."

"What-I was-" Dalton sputtered. "You can't-" He sighed. "What makes you think I was there?"

"The records," Matt said. "Hospitals keep very accurate records and when we searched for information regarding Rogers, we found something quite interesting. It seems that someone was present to identify the body."

Dalton closed his eyes and rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Why'd you mislead us?" Jess asked. "What reason could you have for hiding the fact that you knew he was dead?"

Dalton was silent for a minute before replying.

"Guilt."

"Guilt?" Matt looked at him.

"Yeah, guilt," Dalton said in a low voice. "It's partly my fault that Harv is dead. We killed him, the four of us did; we're responsible for his death."

"He died from a heart condition," Jess said. "How could you have caused that?"

"He couldn't afford the medication that would have saved him," Dalton replied, his voice rising. "We left him penniless! And if anyone needed the money, he did..."

"If you feel that strongly about it," Jess said, her eyes narrowing. "Then why didn't you give him his share?"

"Because Tom and Lee ran the whole thing; Brad, Harv and I were left out of the planning. I was given my money and told that everyone else got the same amount. I didn't find out about Harv being cheated until just before he died. I tried to help out, but 'wouldn't take charity'..."

"How could you not have known?" Matt was confused.

"Tom and Lee always left us out of it," Dalton replied, a scowl spreading across his face. "They ran the business, dealt with the money, and arranged the closing. Harv tried to complain once, when we were slowing going out of business, and they didn't like it. I think that's why they left him out of the split."

"How can you be sure that Harv was left out?" Jess was playing a hunch.

"I talked with Tom when Harv's condition started getting worse," Dalton explained. "I'd tried to ask Harv why he didn't use his split money to pay for treatment, and he replied that he didn't have any. I still had most of mine, so that got me thinking. I tried to find Lee, but I couldn't, so I spoke with Tom. He wouldn't admit to anything, so I..."

Jess raised an eyebrow as Dalton's voice trailed off.

"You what?" Matt pressed.

"I found a way to hack into the old business files," Dalton said slowly. "I know it's wrong, but I had to know. I found that Harv didn't get a single penny, and that Brad and I got less that Tom and Lee did. All three of us were cheated, but Harv got it worse."

"So, did you feel angry at Tom and Lee?" Jess tried to phrase the question as casually as possible.

"I've got to go soon," Dalton said as he looked at his watch. "How is that relevant to your case?"

"I'm sorry," Matt said. "I guess we lost track of the time. You can go anytime you want."

"Thank you," Dalton replied as he stood up. "Am I right in assuming that you'll want to speak with me again?"

"You are," Jess answered.

"You have my number." Dalton walked out of the room.

"What do you think?" Matt looked at Jess.

"I think we've got enough to get a warrant for his place," Jess replied.

* * *

Ronnie grinned as he walked into the office, holding a piece of paper. Jess hoped that it was the warrant...

"It took some convincing," Ronnie paused for effect. "But I got the warrant."

"Great!" Jess jumped up. "Let's go."

"Wait for me," Matt called as he followed the two detectives out of the office.

* * *

Jess looked around. The uniformed officers were helping collect evidence, Matt continued to search and Ronnie kept an eye on Dalton Walsh. Dalton was sitting in his living room, a look of annoyance plastered across his face.

Jess tried to put some pieces together. If Dalton was the bomber, then he'd have to have bomb-making equipment. But where would he hide it? He lived in a small house on one of the less-crowded streets of London.

"Jess!" Matt's voice came from the kitchen. "You might want to see this!"

Dalton's head came up and a look of concern flashed across his face, before reverting back to his annoyed attitude. Jess made a mental note of his reaction as she walked into the kitchen.

Matt had the rug rolled back to reveal a trap door. He was kneeling by the trap door, but he looked up and grinned at Jess.

"How'd you find that?" Jess asked as she knelt down beside him.

"Well, I kinda tripped on the carpet," Matt explained, a slight blush creeping into his cheeks. "And when the rug pulled back, I saw the corner of the door."

"Good job," Jess replied with a good-natured grin.

"Ladies first?" Matt pulled open the trap door and motioned to it.

Jess looked down. When the trap door was fully opened, bare bulbs lit up along the wooden stairs, but the stairwell curved, so the pair of detectives couldn't see what the stairs really led to.

"Nice..." Jess muttered as she stepped down.

* * *

**Cliffhanger...! I couldn't resist... x) The case should end in the next chapter...I know it seems rushed, but it's time for the case to be done. :)  
**

**As I've said before, feel free to let me know if you spot any errors. And don't forget to review... I'm also welcoming ideas for more chapters! xD**

**Kristy :3**


	12. We're Done Here

**And here we have it: The end of Jess' first case with the CID... :) And I even posted it within a day, or so, of the last chapter! xD Hope it isn't too rushed, but I'm really wanting to get to more plot lines... :D**

_**Chaz4Benedict:**_**Thanks! :) I'm slowing worming the chemistry in... ;D**

_**Torchwood Cardiff: **_**Thank you! :D**

* * *

Jess reached the bottom of the stairwell and frowned. The air was thick and musty, and the light from the kitchen barely reached the edge of the stairs. Jess felt around both sides of the stairwell for a light switch. She took a few steps and finally found a switch. She flipped the switch and light flooded into the small room.

Hearing Matt's footsteps come right behind her, Jess walked into the middle of the room and looked around. A small table was against the wall and the detectives could see a book and notebook carelessly tossed on the table. A well-worn trunk was shoved in a corner, and a tool chest was laying in another corner. Jess approached the table while Matt knelt down in front of the trunk.

Slipping a glove on, Jess examined the book.

"Why would Walsh have a book on bombs?" Jess asked.

"This guy has got some explaining to do," Matt replied as he examined the trunk.

"Definitely," Jess said as she paged through the notebook. "Bomb sketches...shopping lists with some rather unusual items...notes on building structures..."

"Bomb components..." Matt added as she opened the trunk.

Jess knelt down beside Matt and dug through the trunk.

"I'm sure Teddy'll confirm that the bombs could have been made here..." Matt looked at Jess.

"He's got the knowledge, the tools..." Jess met Matt's gaze. "And the motive."

* * *

"Just because I have an interest in bombs," Dalton Walsh said, a scowl on his face. "Doesn't give you the right to arrest me."

"Actually, it does," Jess replied.

Jess and Matt were now sitting in the interrogation room, with a very-upset Dalton on the other side of the table. Ronnie and Alesha were watching from the video room.

"See, we recovered quite a few bomb components from your basement," Matt said, setting several photos out on the table. "And the notebook with your notes, and the book on bombs...I'm sure you can see how we might be a little suspicious."

"Look, I-" Dalton rubbed the back of his neck. "If I really wanted to get back at Tom and Lee, do you really think I would use a bomb? I mean, wouldn't it make more sense for me to shoot them or something?"

"Not if you wanted publicity..." Jess said quietly. "You wanted your revenge to be public."

"Maybe as a warning," Matt added.

Dalton stared at the two detectives for several quiet minutes. His eyes were cold and his face showed no emotion.

"What do you want?" Dalton finally spoke. "An apology?"

Jess took a deep breath. Was he actually admitting to planting the bombs?

"I want to know why," Jess said. "Why kill fourteen innocent people just to get back at two men?"

Dalton stared at her, his dark eyes boring into her blue eyes. Matt glanced between the two for a moment before breaking the silence.

"You didn't think about the other people, did you?" Matt asked, his voice low. "You didn't care if anyone else got hurt, because you needed bombs to make a point. You knew we'd find a connection, and you knew that once the story leaking to the papers, everyone would know why you chose those buildings. It was warning, wasn't it?"

"If you've got it figured out," Dalton said as he leaned back in his chair. "What can I add?"

Jess was done with the whole thing: she was done with this man treating them like idiots; she was done with him being so casual about causing the deaths of sixteen people; she was done with him.

She pulled out the folder she'd set under her seat. She took out a photo that she'd edited to include all sixteen victims and slammed it down on the table, causing Dalton to jump.

"You can add how you feel about seeing your victims," Jess said icily. "Look at them!"

Dalton drew in a sharp breath as he looked at the photo.

"You can think about them while you rot in jail." Jess stood up.

* * *

Jess sat at her desk, her mind playing through the bomb sites over and over. Everyone was getting ready to leave for home, but she wasn't ready. She still couldn't wrap her mind around her first case with the CID.

Dalton Walsh had coldly plotted out the murder of two men, without caring who he hurt in the process. It seemed so hypocritical that he would be so angry over the fact that Harv had died, supposedly because of them, but then he was willing to kill innocent people just to get publicity. It was so unbelievable, but there was no other explanation.

She was startled out of her thoughts when someone placed their hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" Matt asked softly as he moved to lean against her desk.

"Yeah, I guess," Jess replied.

"I can't stop thinking about the case, either," Matt said.

"I just can't figure this one out..." Jess stood up and moved next to Matt. "I mean, how can one be so caring and so cold at the same time?"

"Sometimes, a case is never fully explained." Matt sighed. "But you just have to learn to live with it."

"I know, and I do live with it." Jess looked at Matt. "But life has a way of throwing a hard case at you every once in a while. Just to make sure you're still on your toes, I guess..."

"Well, you handled it well. You're a good detective, Jess. And I'm proud to work with you."

"The feeling is mutual."

Matt smiled at Jess as they walked out of the office. Once they left the building, Matt looked at Jess.

"You hungry?" Matt asked.

"Starving," Jess replied.

"Pick a place," Matt said. "I'll buy dinner."

"Okay..." Jess smiled.

* * *

**Well, their case is done and...dinner? Hm... xD I'm thinking of doing a dinner chapter...anyone like the idea? :)  
**

**If you spot errors, you know the drill. ;) Same goes for reviews; I love them and would love to see my readers send me some... :D**

**Kristy :3**


	13. Just A Normal Dinner

**Here's a dinner chapter! Yay... ;)**

_**Torchwood Cardiff: **_**Thank you! :)**

_**Chaz4Benedict: **_**Yeah, I was looking at pictures of Dar****by Stanchfield (Jess's faceclaim), then I found some pictures of Jamie Bamber. They would be a really cute couple in real life, I think... xD**

_**Hope: **_**Tha****nks for the review! Glad you're enjoying the fic! :D**

* * *

Matt and Jess walked side-by-side. Jess had chosen Chinese, and Matt had suggested that they walk.

"Walsh should be going to court soon, right?" Jess asked.

"Hopefully, yeah," Matt replied. "I mean, he's admitted it. All they have to do is charge him..."

"How long will that take?"

"Depends on the court." Matt sighed.

"I want to be there when he's sentenced," Jess said slowly.

"I'll make sure you are," Matt said with a small smile.

"Thanks," Jess said quietly.

They walked in silence for several minutes before Matt broke the silence.

"So, why did you come to London?" he asked.

"I was transferred," Jess replied.

"No, I mean why?" Matt looked at her. "You could have transferred anywhere, but you came all the way over here...why?"

"I couldn't stay in New York," Jess said. "I want to work in a big city, and NYC isn't an option anymore."

"But London...?" Matt prodded.

"When my old boss and I were going over transfer offers, I stopped at London. It felt right..."

Matt nodded.

"My parents and close friends weren't exactly thrilled," Jess continued. "But I promised to stay in touch."

"Well, I'm glad you came." Matt grinned.

"So am I." Jess returned the grin. "I like London; it's so beautiful at night..."

"It is..."

If Jess had looked at Matt at that moment, she would have seen that he was not looking around the city, but at her.

* * *

"Are you moved in, yet?" Matt asked, his mouth half-full with an eggroll.

"Almost," Jess replied through her mouthful of sweet and sour chicken. "I've just got to get some furniture moved around...then set up my DVD rack."

"DVD rack?"

"Yeah, I'm kind of a TV and movie freak..." Jess blushed slightly. "I've been told that I have too many DVD's."

"Nothing wrong with that," Matt assured. "How will you play them?"

"I've got a TV screen coming tomorrow," Jess replied. "And some of my friends got me a multi-region DVD player as a farewell gift. They know me so well..."

Jess grinned and took a bite of a wonton.

"Need some help?" Matt asked. "With the furniture, I mean?"

"I'd love some," Jess replied. "I've got the day off tomorrow, so maybe when you get off work?"

"Sure, I'll call when I leave."

"Works for me."

Jess tried to balance an eggroll on one of her chopsticks. She had it almost perfectly balanced, when Matt nudged her arm. The eggroll felt to the floor with a 'splut!' and Matt snorted.

"Really?" Jess raised an eyebrow at Matt. "You think that was funny?"

Matt tried to hold back a laugh as Jess glared at him.

"I'm sorry...kinda..." Matt chuckled.

"You will be," Jess muttered.

Matt was about to respond when Jess flicked a piece of chicken at his face. He tried to swat it away, but it hit him in the cheek.

"Oi!" Matt rubbed his face with a napkin.

"Payback stinks, don't it?" Jess smirked.

"Very funny..." Matt rolled his eyes, but gave her a good-natured grin.

"We're even," Jess said with a nod.

The pair of detectives continued to eat without much of a mess, until almost all the food was gone.

"Walk you home?" Matt stood and pulled out Jess' chair for her.

"If you want." Jess slung her bag over her shoulder.

Matt nodded and walked to the counter to pay for their dinner.

* * *

"Thanks again, Matt," Jess said.

"Anytime," he replied.

They were now standing in front of the door to her apartment.

"We still on for tomorrow?" Jess dug in her bag for her keys.

"I'll call you as soon as I leave the office." Matt nodded.

"Okay." Jess found her keys and unlocked her door.

She turned back to face Matt and their eyes met. They stood for a moment, the blue-eyed detectives holding each other's gaze. Jess stepped forward and planted a gentle kiss on Matt's cheek.

"Thanks for dinner," she said quietly. "See you tomorrow."

Jess walked into her apartment and shut the door. Matt stood there for a moment, slightly shell-shocked by the quick peck on the cheek that Jess had given him.

"See you tomorrow," Matt repeated almost silently as he walked away from the door.

* * *

**Aw, such fluffiness... :D Just to warn, it might be a little longer before I can post another chapter. Writer's block has been harassing me when it comes to this story... My _CSI:NY _fic is still going strong, but this one is draining my muses... :P**

**Anyway, please review and/or let me know if you spot any errors. Thanks! :D**

**Kristy :3**


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